A review by yazzy_annalise
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I think this review will be short because there are too many feelings to unpack. But, I am so happy I read this book. It is sad and heart wrenching and I cried several times, but it is one of the few books that are out about Syria that aren't about reducing its people to numbers and its history into disembodied facts. Whatever valid arguments that can be made about this book, it is still one of the very few stories we have that makes Syrians human anymore.

I do wish that the story moved a tad bit slower, but I think it was a writing choice to be able to make real life events fit the story timeline. There is a reveal in the book that I think came out kind of suddenly and it threw me off the story for a moment, but it also makes sense how sudden that reveal is because living alone and then introducing a new person into your life can bring many realities into sharp relief.

It was particularly impactful to be reading this during the 2023 Gazan genocide where the main character is asking and pleading time and again how the world could let this continue to happen and thinking something this terrible will never happen again, and every time I had to write an annotation in conversation with the main character that it's worse than it ever was because we are watching the atrocities on our phones live and nothing is being done.

Ultimately, I think everyone should read this book. It is in the similar vein as Mornings in Jenin. While I think this book is easier to read and digest, it is just as impactful.
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